


The Crab God

by jadewolf



Series: A Future Imperfect [9]
Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, God Gambit, Mild Angst, Misunderstandings, Pre-Canon, Strange Customs, Tiny Adorable Crab
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26721865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadewolf/pseuds/jadewolf
Summary: A young Maui and Tamatoa's explorations land them on an island with unusual customs, a place where crabs--rather than famous demigods--are revered.
Series: A Future Imperfect [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/715809
Comments: 15
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Been a long while since I wrote these two together, but I found a wisp of inspiration and just had to run with it. Aiming to post part two next week.
> 
> This is set in the Future Legends story-verse, but can be read separately too.

“Why are they always fawning over _you_?” the young crab huffed, crossing his claws in front of him in an uncannily familiar way.

Had Maui any concept of self-reflection, he would have easily recognized the petulant gesture as mirrored from his own oft-used expression. But Maui wasn’t given to that kind of observation. Instead, he only gave the crab a jovial thump on the shell and laughed – a tad overloud and perhaps even somewhat affected.

“What can I say? The mortals love me!” he quipped with a flippant toss of his hair and a broad grin plastered on his face. If he said it enough, it _had_ to be true. “And what's not to like?”

Tamatoa squinted up at him, unconvinced and still rather peevish. The humans at the last village had not really warmed up to the young monster and it had clearly irked him. He huffed again and stuck his lip out, making his displeasure very apparent.

While perhaps blind to his own influence rubbing off on his companion, Maui _had_ noticed that the crab was getting steadily more ornery and stubborn as he grew. The days of him being a cute little crabling wearing a pearly seashell for protection were past. He was nearly waist-high to Maui now. (When had he gotten so big, anyway? Maui had apparently lost track of the time.) Moreover, the crab had developed an attitude to match his growing size.

Ever since their encounter with the shark-god, Tamatoa had been even more noticeably moody and irascible. Some of that had been tempered by teaching the crab how to sail, but not all. Which often resulted in the pouting Maui was dealing with now.

Tamatoa opened his mouth to speak. Something snappish and snarky was undoubtedly about to bubble forth. Maui’s crabby friend had quite the sharp tongue and wasn’t terribly shy about using it.

As always, Maui diverted the crab with what he thought was _consummate_ _skill_. “Hey, check the water, would ya? See how far to the next island.”

Stalked eyes narrowed. Maui arched a single eyebrow in return.

“You know,” Maui drawled, looking casually out ahead at the open sea before them. “The villagers at the last one said there was some sort of legendary treasure at the next archipelago. And the faster we get there...” He let the unspoken promise of untold riches hang unsaid in the air.

As if on cue, Tamatoa perked up. “What _kind_ of legendary treasure?”

Oh, right. The crab always wanted the _details_. But Maui had limited imagination for coming up with wild mo’o tales about lost treasure. “Uhh,” he faltered, fishing for words. “Something about... a… shiny.. uh…”

That was really all it took, though. At the word ‘shiny,’ the young crab bounded eagerly to the bow of the canoe and dipped his antennae into the water. His eyes scrunched closer, a sign he was deep in thought.

“About a day’s sail!” he announced after a moment. He flung a claw out to the horizon. “That way!” Then he beamed up at Maui with obvious pride.

Maui grinned. “Awlright, little buddy! Good work. Now, let’s get going!”

And, in truth, it _was_ pretty impressive that the crab could read the water so easily. Maui never fully understood how Tamatoa did it, but he could sense _something_ in the water that never failed to point them in the right direction of a nearby island. The crab said he could _smell the taste_ in the water, but that made no sense at all to Maui.

He thought little of it, however, and merely turned the canoe as the crab had directed and let the warm wind fill the sails. Their next adventure awaited!

\---

Right on schedule, the low-slung shape of an island appeared on the horizon. Tamatoa saw it first, perched eagerly on the canoe’s prow with his antennae whipped back in the wind.

“There it is!” he announced, excitement bubbling up and the previous day’s sulkiness seemingly forgotten.

As the island came into view, the familiar outline of peaked _fale_ roofs appeared along the shore. The tall masts of canoes, their sails neatly folded, dotted the small cove which the village was clustered around. Even at a distance, one could see mortals bustling about along the beach.

Maui grinned and angled the canoe straight towards the settlement.

There came an immediate, disapproving groan from the bow. “Can’t we go explore _first?_ ” Tamatoa groused. “We just _left_ a village. Just _yesterday_. And I want to look for treasure!”

Well, perhaps the sulkiness wasn’t _entirely_ forgotten.

Maui laughed and blew a curly lock of hair out of his eyes. “Nah, humans first,” he declared. “Besides, they’ve already seen us. Now we _have_ to go there so they can welcome us!”

The crab huffed. “Welcome _you_ , you mean,” he muttered under his breath.

But Maui wasn’t listening. The humans had indeed spotted them and were busily rushing to their own canoes to row out and greet the strangers. Maui’s focus was entirely upon them now. He ran a hand through his hair, getting it settled just right over his shoulders, and put on his most charming smile in preparation. It was _showtime_.

\---

Flanked by an escort of small canoes, all bedecked in red and gold flowers and filled with cheering humans, they came ashore right in front of the village. To the sound of beating log drums, the wooden hull scraped to a stop on the wet sand and Maui leapt from it onto the beach. Hook slung carelessly over his shoulder, he flashed a smile at the gathered throngs.

“Yes, it’s me! Maui! Demigod of the wind and-”

But the assembled mortals were not looking at him. Every eye in the crowd was fixed upon the young crab monster clambering out of the canoe.

Tamatoa was only half out of the boat. He had a leg tangled in the sennit lines trailing from the sail and was muttering something unfit for polite company as he attempted to disengage himself without snapping the rope and also without falling on his face. In this he only had moderate success. When he finally threw off the loop that was clinging to his leg, he tumbled off the canoe and landed in an ungainly heap. Spitting out sand, Tamatoa let fly with a blistering oath that Maui would _vehemently_ deny that the crab had learned from him.

It was only then, covered in dirt and legs askew, that Tamatoa discovered that his embarrassing misstep had witnesses – _many_ of them. He froze, antennae stiff and eyes round, and took in the many humans staring at him.

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Maui quickly interjected, stepping in front of his crab companion and addressing the mortals. Not every island was used to seeing a small monster in their midst and, more than once, the initial reaction to Tamatoa had not been particularly favorable. “He’s with me,” he assured the humans. “I brought him here.”

A hushed murmur rippled through the crowd and Maui felt an involuntary cringe building under his skin, waiting for the tide to turn against them and the crushing blow of human disapproval to land.

But nothing of the sort happened.

Instead, the cheer went back up, the drums resumed, and the welcome procession continued unabated. The crowd parted, opening a path for them to proceed, and a chiefly representative beckoned them to follow. Another mortal ran ahead, likely to inform the rest of the village of their arrival.

Relief flooded in and Maui let his easy smile return. It seemed these humans would not censure him for bringing a monster to their shores. Maui would not face any disapproval from the humans today.

And so he went with them, striding into the village with a long, swinging gait. Tamatoa followed behind him, sharp eyes swivelling this way and that as they entered the settlement.

Maui was already chatting gaily with the humans, launching into tales of places he had visited before arriving on their island.

“--and then there was the _swamp witch_ before that. And--huh?”

He felt a tug at his lavalava. Tamatoa was looking up at him, claw gripping the frayed edge of Maui’s tapa cloth skirt.

“Did you see those _carvings?_ ”

“Er, what? Carvings?” Of course, the crab was _always_ interested in treasure before humans. But Maui hadn’t even noticed whatever it was. He was fully prepared to shrug it off and return to his conversation.

Tamatoa frowned, tapping his pincers together in a telltale sign of frustration. “ _Those!_ ” he said with an insistent stab of a claw towards a group of wooden figures.

His friend’s sharp tone was an effective prod. Maui looked.

There were wooden tikis lining the pathway to the village, much like many other villages they had visited in this part of the Ocean. But whereas normal tiki figures were crafted into human-like figures, these were decidedly different. Maui blinked once, then again, as he realized what they were.

They were _crabs_.

Maui blinked again, staring blankly with a slack jaw at the carved figures.

“Uhhh...”

They were highly stylistic, with faces far more expressive than normal, mortal crabs. But there was no disputing what they were. The massive pincers and stalked eyes were a dead giveaway. But… _why?_ Tiki were meant to honor ancestors or as guardians of sacred places. That’s why they were always _human_ shaped. What on earth could these be for?

“They’re _crabs_ ,” Tamatoa whispered, stating the obvious. Even in such a quiet utterance, Maui could make out an undeniable hint of _glee_ in Tamatoa’s voice. “What are they _for?_ ”

Once again, all Maui could manage was a very confused: “Uhh.”

There were _other_ things, too, that the crab was eagerly pointing out. Crabs were painted onto hanging tapa cloth and even emblazoned a few of the canoe sails in the harbor.

Maui was mystified. Tamatoa was over the moon.

“What does it all _mean_ , Maui? This is so _cool_.”

No, it was so _bizarre_. Maui couldn’t make any sense of it, had never seen anything like it in all his travels. He tried to get his tongue working to ask his guide, but by then they had arrived outside the _fale tele_ , largest of all the village structures, and the chief’s representative was waving them forward.

The tapa-cloth curtains of the entryway—also conspicuously adorned with stylized crabs!—were pulled aside and they were led inside.

\---

The village elders were already assembled, seated in a circle on the woven mat floor. A space had been left open, a position of high honor. It was to this place that Maui and Tamatoa were directed to be seated.

Maui, attempting to get his hands around the situation again, opened his mouth to speak. “So, as I was--”

The chiefess didn’t give him the chance to finish. “Welcome, honored guest,” her strong, clear voice cut through Maui’s like the prow of a ship. “Please, tell us your name.”

Maui raised an eyebrow. Had they not been paying attention when he came ashore? “Well, _as I said before_ , I am Mau--”

“Not _you_. We already heard yours. Twice,” the chiefess interrupted, so near to a scolding rebuke that Maui stopped cold, stunned. Then she gestured with a flowing motion of her hand to Tamatoa, who was sitting beside Maui with his many legs tucked neatly under himself. “What is _his_ name?”

Tamatoa’s antennae leapt up in surprise. It wasn’t often that mortals called the crab an ‘honored guest.’ More commonly the humans were suspicious at best or openly hostile at worst. This change of pace had clearly caught him off guard. But he recovered quickly and grinned, eyes sparkling with delight at the unexpected attention. He was up on his feet in an instant, sweeping a claw out in a move that Maui _knew_ the crab had lifted straight from his own repertoire. “I am Tamatoa,” he declared. “Crab of… uh…”

Despite his own surprise, Maui couldn’t help but smirk as the young crab struggled, trying to come up with a title for himself to match Maui’s lofty ones.

The mortal chiefess, however, was unfazed by the stumble. She smiled a kindly smile.

“Welcome, Tamatoa,” she told the crab. “I am _Ali’i_ Mesina. We are honored by your presence.”

The crab preened, standing a little straighter and doing his best to look big and impressive.

Maui, however, was dumbstruck. He’d never seen humans take to the crab like this before. Usually, Maui had to do some serious fast talking to persuade villagers that the small monster was harmless. It was a harder sell on islands where other monsters had terrorized the populace, but even humans who had never seen a monster before were typically wary of Tamatoa now that he was nearly half their height. Things had been much easier when the crab was pocket-sized.

But Mesina was not through speaking. “You and your companion-” Only now did the _ali’i_ turn back to address Maui, though something about being referred to as just a _companion_ stung the demigod. “-must be weary from your journey. Tomorrow, once you have rested, we shall feast to celebrate your arrival. But for now...”

The chiefess waved to her retainers, who promptly brought forth several small, woven baskets of food. One was piled high with coconut and breadfruit, another contained fresh fish, and yet another held pork. They were placed before both Maui and Tamatoa.

“Please, eat,” Mesina urged. “I shall have a _fale_ prepared for you in the meantime.”

Never one to pass up a free meal, Tamatoa needed no further encouragement. He helped himself, cheerfully shoving pork and coconut into his mouth with all his usual lack of grace.

The mortals didn’t seem to find insult in the crab’s table manners, or lack thereof, however. A few hurried off, carrying orders from the _ali’i,_ but the rest remained behind, calmly speaking amongst themselves.

Maui was still caught wrong-footed. This was _not_ how things usually went upon arrival to a mortal village. He desperately needed to get back into familiar waters. To that end, he cleared his throat.

All eyes turned to him, except Tamatoa, who was still stuffing his face.

“So, ah.. you _have_ heard of me, right? Maui, demigod?” he ventured. “Lifted up the sky, slowed down the sun-” He picked a coconut out of the basket and spun it on a fingertip. “-created coconuts?”

The mortals glanced at each other questioningly; a few murmured in hushed tones amongst themselves.

Finally, the chiefess spoke. “Yes, we have heard of you, Maui. Your deeds are legend.”

Whew. _Now_ they were getting somewhere. Maui took heart and grinned.

“We never expected that you would come to us in the company of a crab like Tamatoa. You are also our honored guest.”

Maui’s grin faltered. This was _not_ how the script went. He didn’t understand any of it and, worse, it made him feel things he wasn’t entirely comfortable naming. Things like _jealousy_ and _resentment_.

“Hey, are you gonna eat that coconut or just play with it?” Tamatoa asked, his words mumbled around a mouthful of food and blithely innocent of Maui’s budding rancor.

“Huh?” Maui shook the intrusive feelings off. “Oh, right.” He handed the coconut to Tamatoa automatically and without thought.

The crab accepted it gladly and took a bite right out of the hard shell, crunching loudly through it as if it was nothing.

But Maui’s thoughts were elsewhere, trying to make sense of this whole strange scenario and having little success.

\---

“Did you hear that?” Tamatoa bubbled as they walked together to the _fale_ assigned to them. “They called me an _honored guest!_ ” He was ecstatic, his spirits undampened by the evening rain that was dumping buckets on them. “An _honored guest_ , Maui! _Honored!_ ”

Maui made a non-committal sound, but Tamatoa was undeterred. The crab was practically prancing, flitting around Maui like a glowing butterfly as they went through the darkened village.

“And tomorrow there’s going to be a feast!” he rambled on. “And maybe then they’ll tell us where the _treasures_ are!”

Maui gave the crab a sideways glance. “I thought you didn’t like humans,” he remarked, unable to hide his sour tone.

Tamatoa paused in his chatter and pursed his lips, thoughtful. “Well, none have ever called me an _honored guest_ before. So maybe I like _these_.”

Maui snorted.

But the crab wasn’t paying attention, far too wrapped up in his excitement to notice Maui’s sullen mood. And Maui was indeed becoming quite sullen, stewing in his own thoughts.

Why were these humans so… so _unimpressed_ with him? Occasionally they stumbled across a village that had never heard of him, but once Maui had a chance to show his stuff, they came around quickly. But these humans _did_ know about him, yet they were so _blasé_. The snub sent little barbs into his heart, tugging at old wounds. The skin of his upper back prickled under the shameful tattoo that he could never forget was emblazoned upon his shoulders. Was he not good enough? Why was he _never_ good enough?

Maui said little, even as they arrived at their accomodations and settled in for the night. He barely heard Tamatoa, still prattling on, wildly speculating about what foods there would be at the feast and what treasures the humans might possess. Maui wished the crab would just shut up, but there was not much that could silence the crab once he got going.

Eventually, though, the crab talked himself out and fell asleep. In the silent _fale_ , Maui was left alone with his despairing thoughts.

\---

There was indeed a feast prepared the next day, complete with all the expected trappings of a celebration for high-ranking visitors – music and dancing and food aplenty. Maui and Tamatoa were once again seated in a place of honor, though it did not escape Maui’s notice that it was Tamatoa who was placed in the ranking position. Maui tried to conceal his scowl.

The crab was oblivious to Maui’s attitude. He was tapping his legs to the beat of the log drums and watching the dancers with great interest, as if absorbing every intricacy of their graceful movements. The only thing that diverted his rapt attention was the arrival of food, which quickly took precedence as bowls of meat and fruit and vegetables were placed before him. This was the _third_ course they had presented to the voracious little monster. By now they had already discerned his favorites and were providing extra helpings of his preferred fare. Tamatoa couldn’t have been more thrilled. He crammed the latest indulgent round in with no sign of slowing down. At this rate, he’d eat everything in the village. Maui frowned.

“You don’t have to eat _everything_ , you know,” he admonished the crab. “Leave something for the mortals.”

Tamatoa had the decency to look at least somewhat chagrined. He paused, mid-bite, and looked up.

“Nonsense,” _Ali’i_ Mesina cut in. “We have plenty and we are honored to share.” She waved Tamatoa on. “Take all you like.”

Tamatoa grinned a lumpy smile around his mouthful and flashed Maui a triumphant look. _See?_ his look said, without him having to say a word.

Then he went back to eating.

Mesina’s keen eyes fell upon Maui; her gaze was penetrating for a human and Maui nearly squirmed under it. He felt _exposed_ , as if the chiefess could see right through him.

But she merely smiled. “You know, crabs are sacred to our village,” she explained to him, speaking with great patience. “Our people believe their spirits guard and protect us. Even the smallest that inhabit our shores possess much _mana_.”

Well, that explained all the crab art everywhere. It was still _bizarre_ , though. Maui had encountered mortals who had elevated many animal spirits—sharks, whales, manta rays, _honu_ —but he’d never seen any that put such an emphasis on _crabs_.

The _ali’i_ continued. “Never before in our family’s memory have we seen such a crab as this. He must have great _mana_ to have grown so large. He-”

“He’s not a normal crab. He’s a monster, from Lalotai,” Maui interrupted, so blunt and harsh that he found himself questioning his own motives. Was he _trying_ to get the humans to dislike the crab?

But the chiefess was unperturbed. “Then he is rare and special indeed. We thank you for bringing him to us, so we can honor him in our way. Clearly, the stories of your greatness, Maui, were not exaggerated.”

Maui’s brow unfurrowed. That was more like it!

“Well, hey,” he piped up brightly and his trademark smile fell back into place, “you’re welcome!”

It was an odd thing for them to thank him for, but they obviously _did_ appreciate him and that was a good start, as far as Maui was concerned.

Tamatoa, having finished his latest bowl of food, spoke up, eyes on the chiefess. “Hey, so is there any _treasure_ on this island?”

It was rude and brazen and Maui was about to reprimand him for it, but the chiefess did not give him the chance.

“What sort of treasure do you desire, Tamatoa?”

Maui blinked at her indulgence of the crab’s whims, then groaned. Whoo boy, here comes the shopping list.

Tamatoa’s eyes gleamed. “I like _shiny_ things, especially pearls and abalone and gold seashells and anything that glitters, really, and--”

This went on for an overly long time, all while Mesina listened with infinite patience and Maui tried not to tear his own hair out. But when the crab had exhausted his wishlist, the _ali’i_ smiled again. She motioned an attendant over and spoke to him briefly before sending him on his way.

To Tamatoa, she nodded. “I’ll see what we can do.”

Maui’s jaw nearly fell to the ground.

\---

When they returned to their guest _fale_ after the celebration, Maui nearly tripped over his own feet in shock.

Piled high around the entryway to the _fale_ was an unbelievable array of shiny junk.

They had hit almost every category on the crab’s list. There were pearls of varying colors, many white and gold, but also some rare ones of black and iridescent green. Heaps of pearly shells and polished stones were scattered liberally around. More shocking still were the intricate carvings of paua shell and even one of greenstone, some of which appeared to be quite old – cherished family relics, no doubt.

Tamatoa’s eyes were bugging out so much that Maui half expected them to fall right off his eyestalks.

“Whoa…” the crab breathed out in awe.

Maui had to nip this right in the bud. “Uh-uh, no way. You can’t keep all this.”

The crab whirled on him, jaw hanging open in disbelief but eyes stubborn. “What do you mean? They _gave_ this to me! It’s _mine_.”

Maui shook his head, curly locks swinging. “No,” he countered, doing his best to sound resolute. “This is too much. Look at this stuff, Tama! These are family heirlooms! You can’t take them away from these people.”

Tamatoa squared his legs, facing Maui with all the recalcitrance of an oversized, ornery crab. “They _gave_ them to _me_. Nobody _forced_ them,” he emphasized.

Maui put his foot down. “ _No_ , Tamatoa. This is ridiculous.”

Tamatoa stomped his own leg in the dirt, matching Maui’s mulishness with his own. “They’re _gifts_. I’m keeping them.”

Maui’s eyes fell on the carved greenstone again – a stylized human figure with deep, carefully formed eyes. It was quite obviously ancient, its flat surfaces worn smooth by generations of reverent human hands. Someone’s family had cherished that carving for decades, maybe centuries. It belonged with the humans. Maui’s face set.

“Absolutely not,” he grit out through a clenched jaw.

Tamatoa’s eyes narrowed, but his lip curled upward. “Let’s ask _Ali’i_ Mesina,” he drawled, laying out his showstopper line.

Maui threw his hands up, letting out a frustrated growl. After their talk earlier, he already knew what the chiefess would say.

“That’s it, we’re leaving. Let’s go,” he announced, jerking a thumb back towards the beach.

But Tamatoa was having none of it. He glared up at Maui. “ _No_. It was _you_ who wanted to come here, so now we’re here. And I’m not ready to leave yet.”

It was too much. Between the humans largely _ignoring_ him and now with this _obscene_ gift to Tamatoa and the crab’s sudden insistence on staying, Maui reached the point where he’d had more than _enough_ of this.

“Fine. I’m going to sleep on the boat,” he declared, then took up his hook, turned on his heel, and stomped off to the cove.

\---

Tamatoa watched him go, alarmed at Maui’s sudden departure. But the worry dissipated soon enough. He knew Maui wouldn’t leave the island without him. Argument or not, Maui would _never_ leave him behind.

With those concerns rightly dismissed, Tamatoa turned back to the treasure pile and his eyes lit up. The humans had sure _delivered_. He eagerly delved into it, sifting through the collection to find the best, prettiest pieces.

But despite the shine of his wonderful, glittering hoard, there was a small dark cloud hovering overhead. Why did Maui have to be such a stick in the mud sometimes? For once, some humans were being _nice_ to Tamatoa and he wanted to _enjoy_ it. Why couldn’t Maui be happy for him? It’s not like this had ever happened before. Humans fawned over Maui all the time, it was neverending. The demigod basked in their admiration at every inhabited island they visited. Just once, couldn’t Tamatoa enjoy a little of their attention?

Tamatoa flicked his antennae, waving those frustrations away. He had an _immense_ pile of shinies to attend to. Maui’s temper tantrum was Maui’s problem.

He got back to work.

Bit by bit, he brought the treasures inside the _fale_. Too excited to sleep, he spent the evening arranging the treasures around himself, finding the perfect spot to display each one so he could admire them from all the best angles.

When Tamatoa finally did fall asleep, it was in the center of this magnificent array – surrounded by glittering gifts and smiling contentedly.

\---

The sun was sparkling on his new treasures in the morning when Tamatoa awoke alone in the _fale_. Maui had not come back. The demigod really must have slept on the canoe.

He was about to start off to the beach to find Maui, but just as he stepped up to the entryway, the hanging tapa parted to reveal one of the chiefess’ attendants. Tamatoa took an instinctive step back, a strain of wariness rising up in the presence of a human without Maui around. More than once, such encounters had gone poorly.

But this human was all friendly smiles and beckoning hands. “Good morning, Tamatoa,” she greeted him. “The people await your arrival at today’s feast.”

Antennae perked and caution was abandoned. “ _Another_ feast?” he echoed, almost giddy.

“Yes, of course! You’re our special guest.”

No further persuasion was necessary, Maui’s snit was forgotten, and Tamatoa was out the door in seconds. He followed along, clicking his claws merrily, to where yet another celebration was already underway.

Cheers heralded his arrival and Tamatoa could not help his wide grin. These cheers were for _him_ , not for Maui or anybody else. Just _him!_ And it was _awesome_.

He settled comfortably into his now-regular spot near _Ali’i_ Mesina, holding his head a little higher. The chiefess leaned towards him and smiled. “Did you find the gifts acceptable, Tamatoa?” she inquired.

Tamatoa blinked, then bobbed his antennae in a vigorous agreement. “Oh yes, they’re wonderful!”

The human looked pleased. “Was it enough? Or would you like more?” she asked further.

Eyes wide, Tamatoa looked at her with a touch of awe. “There’s _more?_ ” he gasped, hardly believing what his antennae were hearing.

Mesina laughed and nodded. “Of course, we can provide as much as you like. Whatever makes you happy, all you need do is ask.”

Tamatoa was fairly certain his mouth was hanging open. It was like a dream come true! All the treasures he could want? Feasts and food and music in his honor? Cheering throngs? Wow, no wonder Maui liked this all so much.

“I’d _love_ more shinies!” he found himself exclaiming, patently incapable of turning down the offer of _more_.

Maui wouldn’t like it, Tamatoa knew. But Maui wasn’t _here_. The demigod was off sulking at the canoe because these humans liked Tamatoa _better_ than him.

So Tamatoa did not hold back in indulging his every whim, letting these humans bring him bowl after bowl of food and ever more shiny trinkets. He’d finally gotten a taste of the attention and fame and adoration that Maui regularly received and Tamatoa _liked_ it. They sang songs in his honor, dancing elaborately choreographed dances that mimed the movements of crabs (as best a group of fleshy biped mammals could, anyway).

Villagers came forward in turn, presenting him with more gifts as the day wore on. Others draped elaborate flower garlands across his shell and around his neck. Still others brought him tasty delicacies, bright-yolked bird eggs and crunchy reef shrimp. All of the humans treated him with utmost respect and reverence.

Tamatoa could get _used_ to this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, it's been busy and I got stuck for a bit. But here, at last, is the second half of this story! Happy Tamatoa Tuesday! :D

Maui paced the deck of the canoe, the thunking of his heavy footfalls echoing hollowly through the wooden boards. He swung his hook at nothing, taking his frustration out on the empty air. His had not been a restful night.

It all still rankled him: the neglectful attention of the humans, their weird obsession with crabs, and Tamatoa’s shameless behavior. He was of half a mind to march right back up to the village and drag the errant crab back to the canoe, then sail off for more reasonable islands.

Then there was the niggling thought that he—Maui, demigod!—might be jealous of _Tamatoa._ The very idea was galling, but it kept creeping back in. But Tamatoa was just a _crab_ and he didn’t even _like_ humans. He made no secret of it! And yet there he was, soaking up their attention. Everything about it rubbed Maui the wrong way.

He could hear the rhythm of festive drumbeats, the calls of singers and the dulcet cry of a conch trumpet ringing out from the village. Sounded like another party was kicking off. And here Maui was, alone and forgotten on the beach.

He abandoned his pacing, plopping down to sit on the edge of the deck with a huff.

Ultimately, his pacing and sulking were getting him nowhere. He certainly couldn’t win these humans over sitting here by himself. What he needed was something to _impress_ them. But they hadn’t complained about any of the usual fare. They mentioned nothing of monsters terrorizing their island, nor of rivers needing rerouting or any of the other things mortals often beseeched of him. They hadn’t even asked him for something as simple as moving around some heavy objects.

But then again, just because they hadn’t _asked_ didn’t mean that they didn’t _need_ any of these things.

Maui stood. He would just have to find out what could be done to win the affections of these mortals. With that in mind, he started off with purpose towards the village.

He avoided the festivities, skirting around the celebratory crowds and heading towards where the practical work was being done. Behind the scenes, mortals were scurrying about preparing food and ensuring the dancers’ elaborate costumes were properly arranged before their performances. _This_ is where the juicy gossip would be found.

He had left his hook behind on the canoe, which he believed would make him less conspicuous as he snooped for information. Of course, his massive (and impressive!) physique didn’t exactly lend itself towards blending in. But the mortals were really too busy to pay much attention to him anyway, and he walked among them mostly ignored as they chatted amongst themselves.

It was worth noting that, despite going unnoticed being the _plan_ , it did not improve Maui’s sour mood. In fact, it only reinforced his rancor, and he almost turned around and stomped right back to the boat again.

But then he heard a snippet of conversation that stopped him mid-stride.

“--you get a chance to see the crab, Fetū?” an unseen man spoke from somewhere behind a barkcloth curtain.

A feminine voice replied. “I did. Brought him a gift this morning. And you, Matagi?”

“No, not yet. Is he really as big as they say?”

“He is! He’s magnificent. Rumor has it he’s straight from Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters. You really should see him before the ceremony tomorrow, might be your last chance.”

“Tomorrow? So soon?”

“Yep, the _Ali’i_ believes we must act quickly to properly honor such a powerful spirit.”

Matagi sounded distressed, urgent. “I don’t even have a gift prepared!”

“Just bring him something that shines, any old fancy seashell or pearl will do. He seems to love them,” Fetū assured him.

“But what if I can’t find a good one? What if he doesn’t like it?!” Matagi still sounded quite frazzled, despite the woman’s reassurances. “How much time do I have?” 

“You worry too much. He’s easy to please. Just find something shiny, that’s all. Not hard,” she told him. “And the ceremony is at sundown, make sure you queue up well before then. They’ll free his spirit once the last light has faded.”

Then a third voice cut in, gruff. “Hey, you two get back to work!” it barked. “These coconuts aren’t going to scrape themselves.”

The chatter ended in a flurry of activity, followed by the rhythmic rending of tender coconut flesh, scraped out of hard shell.

Maui stood rooted to the spot, all thoughts of finding monsters to slay or boulders to relocate evaporated in an instant. Instead, the mortals’ words swirled around his head.

_Ceremony?_ _Free his spirit?_

The words could have been innocent enough, but nevertheless a queasy feeling settled in the pit of Maui’s stomach. He didn’t know the full context, but he knew enough to recognize the dark implications. While he couldn’t say for sure what this “ceremony” entailed, “freeing his spirit” sounded terribly _permanent_.

Oh yeah, it was time to go.

Maui gave up on inconspicuous lurking and made a beeline straight for the party.

\---

Tamatoa was having the time of his life.

Ever since the festivities kicked off in the morning, there had been a steady stream of humans to the honored place where he sat. They came one at a time or in pairs, all bestowing gifts of food and treasure upon him and paying him the nicest compliments. And for each one who spoke about his greatness, his utter glee grew and grew.

He was accumulating quite a pile of goodies, too. He could barely keep up with the bowls of succulent treats, perhaps the first time in his recollection that his appetite was outpaced by the abundance of food. And then there were the _treasures!_ So many beautiful shells and precious pearls and lovely stones were piling up around him that he was wondering if he could ask for a second canoe to hold them all. There was no way _all_ of this could fit on the boat, but perhaps if they towed a second, smaller canoe behind Maui’s…

As if on cue, there was a commotion, somewhere deep in the crowd, accompanied by raised voices and the hurried shuffling of human feet. Tamatoa craned his eyestalks higher to look.

“Excuse me, coming through!”

Sure enough, there was Maui--jostling his way through the crowd to a chorus of irritated human braying.

“Hey, watch it!”

“No cutting in line!”

“Ow, my toe!”

“Back of the line, pal! I’ve been waiting all morning!”

“Just who do you think you are?!”

The humans, quite clearly, were not impressed by Maui and were uninterested in yielding so he could get by. Tamatoa almost snickered. He’d been on the receiving end of human disregard so often that he couldn’t help but feel a little smug to see Maui getting a taste of it for once.

It took the demigod long enough to wade through the villagers that Tamatoa had plenty of time to prepare a properly superior, regally indifferent expression. After all, these humans were practically _worshipping_ Tamatoa. He needed to act the part!

When Maui, huffing and puffing, forced his way to the front, Tamatoa was all posed and ready--cool as a sea cucumber.

“Ah yes, another humble petitioner. What gifts do you bring for the Great Crab of Lalotai?” he asked, assuming all the pompous airs that he imagined a renowned chief might carry.

But it was so ridiculous and silly that even Tamatoa couldn’t maintain a perfectly straight face, a mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lip.

Maui, however, was apparently not in the mood for playing. There was a flicker of something unreadable in his face, but was quickly overridden by the usual annoyance. He swore, saying something so scandalous that the human behind him went wide-eyed, then put a hand to his chest in shock. Tamatoa would have to remember that one.

“This is _not_ the time for games, buddy” Maui admonished, though there was some strange urgency in his voice that Tamatoa couldn’t quite place. “It’s time for us to _go_.”

Leave? Now?? When Tamatoa was having so much fun?! No way.

“ _No_ ,” Tamatoa fired back again, refusing to be budged. “They’re holding this feast for _me_ and I’m staying to the end.”

Maui raised his hands, as if on the verge of tearing out his own precious hair--or maybe just snatching Tamatoa right up and leaving. In Tamatoa’s peripheral vision, he caught a subtle flicker of movement from a muscular human standing off to the side.

Maui changed gears, mid-movement. He smoothed his hair down, putting on the quick and dirty appearance of calm--a thin veneer that Tamatoa, knowing Maui as long as he had, could see right through.

“Tamatoa,” the demigod began again, lowering his voice but failing to keep it level. “You don’t know what’s happening here. You need to come with me now.”

But Tamatoa _did_ know. He knew _exactly_ what Maui was doing. “You’re just _jealous_.” The words burst out of him like an angry sea. “Humans are always throwing parties for _you_ and you just can’t stand that they’re throwing one for _me_ this time.”

The effect was immediate. Maui reeled back as if Tamatoa had slapped him. He looked stricken enough that Tamatoa felt a little bad for saying what he had.

But not bad enough to leave.

Maui recovered face quickly enough, however. “That’s _not_ what this is about,” he insisted, but his words lacked conviction.

Tamatoa snorted.

“Okay, that’s not _only_ what this is about!” Maui admitted, throwing his hands up. “But that’s beside the point! Look, seriously...” The demigod’s eyes cut warily towards Mesina, then back to Tamatoa. “...I need you to come with me _right now_.”

Tamatoa dug in. “I’m _not_ going. Why don’t _you_ go back to the canoe and sulk some more,” he snapped back.

As if on command, there was a sudden flurry of movement, startling Tamatoa and sending his antennae jerking skyward. The heavily-muscled human to the right--and another on the left that Tamatoa had not seen--were flanking Maui on either side and hooking their arms under his elbows.

“You heard the crab,” one barked in a gruff baritone.

The other chimed in, “Time for you to leave.”

Maui, who had a demigod’s preternatural strength and could have sent both the humans flying into the sun on a whim, seemed too surprised to resist. Unwilling to do anything that might harm his standing with the humans, he offered no argument as they frog-marched him away.

Tamatoa was too shocked to do much more than stare after his friend. Had _he_ initiated that? He didn’t _mean_ for anyone to haul Maui away. He just didn’t want Maui to drag _him_ away.

Uncertain, Tamatoa stood. He looked in the direction where Maui had gone, towards the cove where their canoe waited. He glanced down at the gleaming treasures that surrounded him, then back towards the beach. Indecision gripped him, a tightness clenching around his heart. He took a step to follow…

“It’s okay, Tamatoa,” a kind, soothing voice said beside him. “No harm will come to your companion. Just give him some time to cool off.”

Tamatoa blinked, eyes swiveling to look at _Ali’i_ Mesina. She smiled, full of reassurance.

“Please, sit. Enjoy your festivities,” she beckoned. “You’re correct, he’s a little jealous. But he’ll come around soon enough and all will be well.”

He wasn’t so sure about _that_. Maui was stubborn and--

“Your guests are waiting, Tamatoa,” the chiefess went on, gesturing to the next waiting human. This one had a particularly glittery carved seashell; Tamatoa could already see how nicely it caught the sunlight and sent it into a cascading rainbow of sparkles. It really was quite lovely. And Maui _was_ just jealous. That was no reason for Tamatoa to abandon his own soirée, though.

Tamatoa settled back down.

\---

The mortals had sent him-- _Maui,_ demigod of the wind and sea, hero of man!--away. And not only had they sent him away, they had done so at _Tamatoaʻs_ behest! Maui was too blindsided to even know what to think of _that_. Part of him blamed the crab, who had stolen the humansʻ affections.

But he had seen the look on Tamatoaʻs face when the two men had escorted Maui out. The crab was completely incapable of keeping his emotions off his expressive face. And what Maui had seen there was confusion and alarm. There was no malice, nor smug triumph--just a flash of youthful innocence.

An innocence that these humans would soon be taking advantage of if Maui didnʻt act.

No, he couldnʻt blame Tamatoa--at least, not completely. And while the sting of rejection blistered and chafed, Maui couldnʻt let the mortals harm his friend. The crab was clearly in way over his head, with no understanding of what was going to happen. It didnʻt come as too much of a surprise; dangling something shiny for the little hoarder was all it really took. And these villagers had _showered_ him in gifts and praise.

The flare of jealousy fluttered up again, but Maui did his best to squash it down. He firmly reminded himself that, first, he needed to save his friend. Only then could he deal with the issue of the humans afterwards.

His two burly escorts came to a stop, right in front of his canoe. They were none too polite about it, either. Roughly shoving him, as if their mortal strength was somehow equal to his own.

Maui let himself be shoved. It was bad enough getting kicked out and knowing he would need to make a scene to rescue his wayward crab, he couldnʻt make matters worse by picking a fight with these two.

“You are free to leave,” one informed him, gruff and no-nonsense.

The other added, a bit more amiable but only by the narrowest of margins, “However, you may remain on the island provided you do not interfere again.”

Then they turned and marched back from whence they came, leaving only the lingering weight of their rejection to settle upon Maui.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, This crab was getting him into more and more trouble with the humans as he got older. Why couldnʻt he have stayed cute and small and easier to manage? Maui could only imagine how much _more_ of a pain in the hiney the crab would become if he kept growing like this.

But Maui shrugged that thought off as unimportant right now. No, his main priority right now was to _get Tamatoa out of there_. Preferably before the crab made some fatal mistake.

Mauiʻs eyes fell upon his hook, leaning against the canoeʻs mast. He sighed.

“Well, here we go,” he declared to the empty sea, then reached for his hook.

\---

This was the _life_.

Tamatoa could not remember ever having such _luxury_. An ever-mounting pile of treasure, gifts from the adoring humans, and a seemingly _endless_ flow of food delivered to where he was seated. And the _praise!_ All day, humans had come to him with compliments and gratitude. They were thanking _him!_ For just _being_ there! It was incredible and Tamatoa was eating it up.

Was this what it was like for Maui all the time? No wonder the demigod liked it so much, no wonder he was always chasing the love of humans.

As the sun passed its zenith, there were _more_ dances and music and _even more_ food. Tamatoa indulged without restraint.

But as the afternoon wore on and the summer heat hung, shimmering, in the air, he found himself growing drowsy. For perhaps the first time ever, he actually turned down another bowl of salted pork. Sated, he settled comfortably at his place of honor and _relaxed_. Legs sprawling and antennae draped lazily, he was not exactly the picture of poise and elegance, but instead one of deep contentment.

Eyes half closed and drowsing, he only stirred when the music very subtly picked up in tempo. A claw idly began to click along to the drumbeat, slow and deep at first, steady as a heartbeat, but ever so gradually quickening.

_These humans really have great rhythm_ , he reflected. They could also carry a tune far better than Maui, who was under the false impression that his demigodly singing skills were divinely fabulous. In fact, their singing and chanting began to build along with the music – a lovely chorus with a haunting melody in some minor key. Tamatoa was impressed by the depth of it. His antennae swayed and he tapped a pointed dactyl to the beat.

The hollow tok-tok-tok of the log drum continued on. It sped up further, the strong, clear percussion ringing out. Tamatoa drifted with it, letting himself be swept along by the music. Tamatoa had always loved music, but this was special. The chanters were singing his praises; and having the music be about _him_ was a novel and _highly enjoyable_ experience. A song all for Tamatoa, what could be better?!

A few humans were approaching now, perhaps fresh supplicants bearing gifts. Tamatoa was lost in the music, however, and paid them little mind. They could wait a bit. He would receive their tributes when the song was over.

The beat was growing faster still, racing like his own pulse on the hunt. The drums rolled fast and hot, akin to the wild moments before he caught some small creature for a snack or before he and Maui faced off against some dangerous monster.

A human approached with a fresh lei of fragrant flowers, their soft petals the deep crimson of fresh blood. Tamatoa only gave the human a passing glance, too engrossed in the music and dancing to give her more than a bob of his antennae as she raised it high in presentation, then placed the garland around his neck.

Then she departed and Tamatoa returned his full attention to the show. After all, the flowers were nice, sure, but Tamatoa had little real interest in them. He was far more impressed by the gifts of _treasure_.

The music was reaching a fever pitch, the drums rattling in a near-constant, clamoring drone. The dancers’ movements grew short, rapid-fire motions that were very nearly a blur in the deepening shadows and slanting sunlight of the late afternoon. The flicker of their regalia, the stamping of their feet, the rippling ululation of the singers, the roar of the drums – it was so _much_ , so overwhelming.

Tamatoa’s antennae twitched, jerking anxiously. His tapping claws were unable to keep up with the staccato drumbeats. A feeling of inexplicable disorientation washed over him amidst this chaotic tempest of sound and motion. Maybe the humans _weren’t_ as musically inclined as he’d thought.

Then the music slammed to a halt, a sudden silence crashing through the cacophony and ringing almost as loudly as the drums had. Tamatoa found himself blinking rapidly, antennae shuddering off the weird, unsettling feeling left in the wake of the musical storm.

Before him stood a human, one of high and priestly rank, by the look of it. She smiled at him, then raised her hands skyward.

“Tamatoa, Great Crab of Lalotai--” she began, formal and warmly respectful.

Tamatoa _beamed_ , absolutely elated.

She was already moving on, however.“--we honor you. Long have we hoped for one of your great stature to visit our shores--”

_Great stature!_ Tamatoa liked the sound of that. He held his head a little higher.

“--and soon your spirit shall be set free!”

_Wait, what?_

“--released to guard our island for all eternity. Joining the many others, ancestors and kin, who went before you.”

Tamatoa squinted. _Wait a minute, what were they…_

“--we are grateful for your great sacrifice--”

_Sacrifice...?_

“--generation after generation will honor your name. True immortality in the legends of our people. All will know and revere the name Tamatoa, the greatest of all crabs!”

Tamatoa found his voice. “Hey, _that_ sounds pretty good,” he began, glancing between the priestess and the chiefess. And it _did_ , too. The thought of being known far and wide sent a thrill under his exoskeleton. “But, uh… what’s all this about sacri--”

Before he could even finish his question, there were human hands _everywhere_. Some grabbed at his legs, others at his claws and body. The two men who had removed Maui were upon him in a flash, looping sennit rope around his claws and cinching them shut.

It all happened so fast that Tamatoa was nearly in shock. But when the rope tightened, a flash of cold fear shook him loose and he struggled mightily against the humans, thrashing his legs and trying to free his claws.

“HEY!” Hiding his terror under a yelp of outrage, he shouted at his human attackers, “What gives?! Lemme go!! I _demand_ that you let me go!!”

But his demands, indulged at all whims for the past few days, were ignored.

As his struggles grew more wild and frantic, more humans joined the fray. Tamatoa was half their size and twice as strong as any single human, but here he was grossly outnumbered. Their fleshy fingers were nimble and cunning, tying new ropes quickly as they were threaded around him. He shrieked and flailed, but to no avail. With a final knot, they pulled the line taut and jumped back, the many hands letting go of his legs and body.

His legs were left unbound, but he was not free. They had wrapped the ropes firmly around his whole body like a harness. His attackers had stepped quickly away, backing up out of his reach, but he was not released by any means. In fact, long, corded lines ran from the ropes ensnaring him, held fast by several humans.

The lines tethering him pulled tight.

“Walk forward,” one commanded, authoritative.

Tamatoa did no such thing. “No _way_ ,” he snapped, tugging backwards against the rope’s pressure. “Let GO!”

But they did not relent. Several more humans joined the others on the ropes, pulling with their combined strength against his.

Tamatoa jerked forward a few steps. The fear flashed again, sizzling through him like lightning. “I thought you liked me!” he wailed. Desperate, his eyes sought out Ali’i Mesina. “Mesina! Make them let me go!”

But the chiefess just gave him that same smile. It had seemed so friendly before, so warm and welcoming, but now it felt dark and frightening. “It’s okay,” she soothed, her gentle tone at odds with Tamatoa’s building terror. “Soon you will be free of all mortal bindings. Don’t fight it, just let go and find peace with your ancestors who guard our island.”

But Tamatoa _did_ fight; he dug his legs into the earth and braced against the pull of the ropes with all his strength. The humans pulled harder, the ropes tightening all around his carapace. He grit his teeth, straining against the relentless pull. His forward progress halted.

“You must walk on your own,” the priestess commanded, her words sharp and harsh as a whip crack.

Was she _serious?!_ They wanted him to walk _willingly_ to his death?! “ _No!_ ” he fired back, stubbornly digging in and throwing all his weight against the rope.

The lines abruptly went slack.

With no counterweight against him, Tamatoa nearly lost his footing and tumbled backwards as the pressure ceased. It was only by some miracle that he kept himself upright. But the jolt broke his hold upon the earth and he stumbled.

In that moment, the lines pulled tight again and he was dragged forward by dozens of flailing steps.

He could see now where they were taking him. There was an ancient _heiau_ ahead, with dark basalt stones worn smooth by eons of ceremony. A wide, flat altar of smooth lavarock stood low in the center of the temple. The holy woman and chiefess were already moving to stand at it, awaiting his arrival. Laid across the stone was the long, pointed bill of a marlin, sharpened to a point greater than it had known in life. A heavy wooden club leaned against a pillar nearby.

Tamatoa attempted to brace himself again, scrabbling at the gravel path and trying to gain purchase. But there was too much forward momentum and the humans dragged him onward.

“ _Stop!_ ” he cried again in a desperate plea, eyes locked on the altar. He didn’t know exactly what they had in store for him, but he _did_ know that he absolutely needed to _avoid_ it.

But he was getting ever closer to that fatal altar, pulled forward despite his fiercest struggles. Terror was beginning to seep in from all sides, chilling him through and through. In times like this, there was nothing to do but swallow his pride and go with the last ditch option for when he was hopelessly in over his head.

“ _MAUI!!_ ” he howled at the top of his voice.

The tugging on the rope ceased. The demigod’s name commanded at least enough respect to make the humans around him hesitate for a moment.

But only for a moment.

And Maui did not appear.

The lines went taut again.

Tamatoa’s eyes widened as he was yanked forward. He was tiring from the fight and powerless to stop his movement towards that terrible altar. Worse still was the crushing weight of _betrayal_ that took the wind right out of his sails. He had really, truly thought these humans _liked_ him. They had given him gifts! They had said such nice things! And now...

He stumbled forward another few steps as the humans hauled on the ropes.

The holy woman was holding the marlin bill, testing the spike for sharpness. These humans were going to _kill_ him! Anguish and fear intermingled, pouring like cold water upon him. He had sent Maui away! And now he was all alone, with no one to help.

They dragged him up the low step preceding the altar.

All at once, there were hands all over him again. Humans swooped in, grabbing at his legs. Tamatoa thrashed in a panic, lashing out blindly with every limb. He clipped one human in the shin, eliciting a yelp, but it only drew _more_ humans to the struggle. And Tamatoa was _exhausted_. He was slowing down and, bit by bit, he was inevitably forced down onto the flat surface of the stone altar.

Held there, restrained and unable to get free, he looked up at Mesina and the holy woman with wide, frightened eyes. They loomed over him. The chiefess still wore the same expression she had throughout the festivities—one that had been so accommodating, so full of praise and care—but it was _fake_. It was all a _trick_. And he had fallen for it! The hopelessness of his situation settled over Tamatoa like a smothering shroud.

The priestly woman stepped towards him; she held the long, sharp marlin bill in both hands. With practiced ease, she ran a hand down his centerline along his back. Despite the warmth of her hand, it sent an icy chill shuddering through him in its wake. Everything seemed to happen in agonizingly slow motion, each second stretching on into ominous eternity. His eyestalks swiveled to watch with mounting horror as this slow process played out. She picked a spot on his carapace, marked it by two fingers, just behind his head, and then set the sharpened point of the marlin bill against it. With one hand steadying the tip, the other moved higher along the spike to provide the driving force.

“Lanuola is very skilled,” Mesina spoke softly to him. “Your journey will be quick, do not worry.”

The words were of absolutely no comfort. He let out a pitiful cry, making one last weak effort to break free that was ultimately useless against the many hands and ropes holding him steady.

“We thank you for your great sacrifice.”

The priestess, Lanuola, shifted her grip upon the spike and Tamatoa squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see death coming for him.

“ _CHEEEEEEEHOOOOOOO!”_

A gasp went up from the humans, the sharp point of the spike grinding against his back faltered.

Tamatoa’s eyes flew open. They swiveled in all directions, seeking his salvation. It did not take long to find. The giant hawk screaming out of the sky, diving towards him with talons extended, was all at once the most wonderful thing in all the world, better than any shiny treasure. _Maui!_

Humans scattered every which way in alarm, letting the lines tethering him fall slack. Even the steady calm of their chiefess and holy woman was shaken. The sharpened marlin bill fell away, clattering to the ground, as the human holding it backed up by several hasty steps.

In a blink, Maui was _there_ and the massive talons clasped around him. WIthout a word, Maui lifted off into the sky. No human dared stop him, nor did any risk grabbing for the trailing ropes that dangled from their escaping prize.

They were airborne with just two powerful strokes of hawk wings. Even the terror of flying, something Tamatoa had _always_ disliked, was drowned out by the immense relief that coursed through him as he dangled in Maui’s grip. He was free of the humans! Moreover, he was _alive!_ Tamatoa had been so very certain that he was about to die, impaled upon some sacrificial blade with no one to help him.

But Maui had saved him, despite having been sent away. He looked up at the demigod, gratitude in his wide, shaken eyes. And his friend glanced down at him as they rose high above the island, but said nothing--not that anything he said could have been heard over the howling wind anyway.

Tamatoa knew there would be words later, however. And he held back a cringe that some of those words would inevitably be: “I told you so.”

For now, however, Maui was carrying him away from the assembled village and towards the safety of their canoe. He could see the familiar painted sail, emblazoned with a huge, stylized hook, coming into view now--a dearly welcome sight.

Within moments, they had landed. Maui set him down right on the wooden deck and Tamatoa gripped it with all his legs, grateful to be back on the _ground_ and _far_ from these humans. He looked up at Maui with great relief.

But Maui’s sharp hawk eyes were looking away towards the village. He glanced only briefly back to Tamatoa. A quick snap and tug of his sharp beak broke the ropes still lashed around Tamatoa’s claws.

“Get the boat ready,” he ordered, his terse command harsh through a hawk’s mouth. Then he shoved the hull, hard. Released from the sand, it bobbed gently in the lapping waves. “Start sailing east, I’ll join you soon.”

Then he was gone in a flurry of feathers, flying off towards the village once more.

Tamatoa watched him go, a little stunned. Was Maui actually going to retaliate against the _humans_? For _him_? In all the years they had traveled together, Maui had never raised his hand nor his voice against a human--always seeking only their favor. Was he really siding with Tamatoa _against_ them this time?

Though he was still shaken and trembling from his brush with sacrificial death and the crushing betrayal of the humans, Tamatoa’s spirits lifted just a little. His antennae perked and he set about his tasks with a will.

He shucked off the remaining ropes and shuddered the sickly sweet leis from himself. Once free of their cloying embrace, he turned to the familiar sails and rigging. It wasn’t often he had to launch the canoe himself, but he was big enough and strong enough to do it almost as effortlessly as Maui.

It was only once the sails began to billow with captured wind that Tamatoa remembered what he was leaving behind.

“My treasures!!” he shouted to an indifferent sea, a mournful wail.

All the gifts he had been bestowed were still in the _fale_.

\---

Maui landed amid a sea of angry faces.

By the time he had changed back into his human shape, the shouted complaints were legion. He barely heard the words themselves, the rebuke in their tone was more than ample to send him spiralling. Their disapproval cut through him like a knife, laying bare all his shortcomings to the world.

“Trickster!”

“Thief!”

“Swindler!”

“Great dishonor!”

“ _Shame!_ ”

Each epithet fell upon him harder than the one before, weighing him down like ballast stones. He had come here fully intending to tell them off for nearly killing his friend, but facing their disfavor it was hard to mount a defense.

“Look, I think there’s been a mistake,” he tried, attempting to explain and smooth things over. “The crab is my _friend_ and I didn’t bring him here for this. And I can’t let you--”

“Then what _did_ you come here for?!” one villager called from deep within the crowd.

Another voice cried out, “We only want to _honor_ him! This is our way! You bring shame upon us to take him away!!”

Then a third mortal shouted, “If you won’t help us, just leave! _We don’t need you!_ ”

The words snapped like rigging in a storm and Maui went just as rigid as a tight-strung line. His mouth opened and closed like a landed fish, unable to form words to counter such a blow.

Only the chiefess still spoke without anger, though her face was set in disappointed lines. “Perhaps you have misunderstood our traditions,” she said, politic but heavy with the implication that the fault was _his_. “This rite is one undertaken out of great love and respect. Your crab would join the revered ancestral spirits, the highest honor there is.”

Maui’s lips pressed into a thin, pale line.

Mesina took note of his tense recalcitrance, keen eyes focused intently upon him. “I see that you do not share our ways, however. In which case, I think it is best that you leave.”

Well, there it was. They were throwing him out.

These humans--who had ignored him in favor of lavishing attention upon Tamatoa, who had then run Maui out of the party, and who had then nearly killed his friend--were throwing _him_ out? Telling _him_ to leave?

Mauiʻs temper boiled up, stoked by jealousy and anger and frustration and the stinging lash of rejection.

“Fine,” he snapped at them, with a sudden furor. “You want me gone? Iʻm gone. Hope you never need anything from a _real_ demigod, because I wonʻt be back.”

He waved a disgusted hand broadly at their village. “Hope your weird love of crabs is enough next time some monster threatens.”

The faces around him were a mix of righteous outrage and outright shock. The chiefess looked dismayed, shaking her head with a solemn sadness. There was pity in her eyes.

And that was the last straw. That open disappointment in her expression was more than Maui could bear.

He turned away, raising his hook and changing swiftly into a hawk once more. Eyes hard, he took to the air and left the stunned villagers amid the swirling dust of his wake.

The image of their faces followed him, however, and refused to leave his thoughts. But Maui brushed it off as he flew back towards the canoe.

What did they know, anyway? What kind of humans worshipped _crabs?_ Maui was a _demigod_. He was _better_ than that. These fools just couldnʻt see it. He was _Maui_ , demigod of the wind and sea. And someday heʻd show them all that he _mattered_. Someday, heʻd find a way to impress them all.

Someday.

\---

Tamatoa had taken the canoe a fair way off shore on his own--he had paid _close_ attention when Maui had taught him how to sail. The cove was already far behind him and he had just passed the last of the fringing coral heads that circled the island, but there he had reefed the sail and let the boat loll in the waves as he awaited for Maui’s return.

As the boat rocked gently, Tamatoa stared back at the island where all his new treasures had been left behind. There had been so _many!_ Such lovely, shiny things! There was the pretty carving of a crab figure, etched into a golden cowrie shell with piercing eyes made from glittering shards of abalone. And there was the big pearl, perfectly round and streaked with gold and silver. And then there was a ceremonial adze, made from a nearly translucent piece of pale green pounamu. And… and… and…

Tamatoa choked out a sob. All his new goodies! All lost! _Abandoned!_

But even though it would be easy enough to pilot the canoe back to shore, he didn’t dare go back to the island alone again to retrieve them. As much as he wanted his hoard, he feared that sharp-tipped sailfish spike even more. He could almost still feel the point of it, pressed against his shell. A shudder ran through him, running along that same line of nerves that the spike had nearly pierced.

His antennae drooped. No, he couldn’t go back to shore. All he could do was wait for Maui to arrive and flee this place and its untrustworthy humans. And he dearly hoped that Maui had kicked those humans’ hinies for what they did to him.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long.

A wispy shadow passed over Tamatoa and his eyes darted skyward just in time to catch the outline of a wide-winged hawk passing in front of the rising moon. Moments later, Maui stood before him in human form once again.

The demigod looked sullen and surly and ready to say something snappish, but Tamatoa didn’t care. He was just glad to see him; he hurried over and his words bubbled out in a mad rush.

“Maui, they were gonna kill me! They had said such nice things and gave me pretty gifts, but then they tied me up and dragged me over there! And they were gonna _kill_ me! They said they cared! They said I was an honored guest! They lied, Maui! Maui! They lied! And all my treasures got left behind! And I almost _died!_ And they’re _awful_. Why do you like them? They were going to hurt me! And they had that spike on my back and if you hadn’t gotten there, I’d be _dead!_ And--”

Something shifted in Maui’s expression, softening and replacing some of the simmering anger with something gentler--though not entirely.

The demigod sighed heavily. “Well, you’re safe now,” he interrupted, with a smile that still felt a bit forced. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“Okay, but…” Tamatoa hesitated, glancing back towards the island. His antennae lowered with reluctance. “But… I don’t suppose… you could… my, uh.. my treas--?”

Maui must have known what he was about to ask, because he answered with a flat and final proclamation, “No. We’re _not_ going back for that stuff.”

Antennae drooped again.

“Do you _want_ to give them another chance to sacrifice you or whatever?” Maui asked, a question as pointed as the spike had been.

“ _No!!_ ” There was no hesitation in _that_ vehement reply.

Maui let out a short, rueful laugh that Tamatoa did not particularly appreciate. “Then, let’s just get _out_ of here before they come after us.”

As loathe as he was to admit it, Tamatoa knew that was probably the best course. He let out a heavy sigh of his own. “Okaaay,” he drawled, then huffed. “I never wanna see that island again. _Ever_.”

“Heh,” Maui snorted, looking back at the shrinking island with an unreadable expression. “Me either. Besides, they don’t deserve a _real--_ ” Maui paused, looking down at Tamatoa. “--crab like you, anyway.”

Tamatoa’s antennae perked a little, feeling that return of familiar camaraderie and he flashed his friend a wide grin.

Maui had been so weird about this whole thing, but it sure seemed like they had come away with the same conclusions--that these islanders could _not_ be trusted. And Tamatoa was _certain_ that Maui had gone back to tell them off for nearly killing him, too.

At least, that’s what Tamatoa believed.

So, he put Maui’s earlier weirdness out of his mind for now. Maui would get over himself eventually and they could move on to the next thing. They were best friends and the world was full of fun things to explore and treasures to find. That’s how it had always been and, as far as he was concerned, was how it _would_ always be.

Indeed, Tamatoa’s antennae perked back up as a thought came to him.

“So hey,” he began, a hint of his usual eagerness coming back into his voice at the prospect of a fresh adventure. “I overheard one of the humans talking about this island not far from here where there’s supposedly a magic spear guarded by a _big monster_ …”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you! And please come back next week for the thrilling conclusion!


End file.
